And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit (by divine inspiration), that there should be great dearth, х megaleen (G3173) ... heetis (G3748), which is better supported than megan (G3173) ... hostis (G3748) of the Received Text]
Throughout all the world, х holeen (G3650) teen (G3588) oikoumeneen (G3625)] - the whole Roman empire (see the note at Luke 2:1).
Which came to pass in the days of Claudius [Cesar]. The word "Caesar" here is an explanatory gloss, not belonging to the original text (as manuscripts and versions make quite clear). 'It appears (says Humphry) that the world was much afflicted with scarcity in the reign of Claudius. Four local famines are mentioned:
(1) In his first and second years (A.D. 41 AD), at Rome (Dio. Cass. 9: p.
949);
(2) in his fourth year, in Judea (Josephus, Ant. 20: 2. 5; Eusebius,
H.E., 2: 8);
(3) in his ninth year, in Greece (Eusebius, Chr. 1: 79);
(4) in his eleventh year, at Rome (Suetonius, Vit. Claud. 17:; Tacitus, Annals 12: 42).
History does not indeed inform us of an universal famine in the reign of Claudius, anymore than it speaks of an universal census under Augustus Caesar (Luke 2:1). But universal taxing might be decreed, though but partially carried into effect; and the whole world might suffer dearth in the reign of Claudius, though the famine was intense only at particular times and places.' The one here referred to appears to be the second of the four above enumerated, which took place 41 AD-an important date this for tracing out the chronology of the Acts. (See Introduction.)